Shenendehowa elementary teacher Christopher Culver, accused of sexually abusing eight of his first grade male students, is headed to trial on the charges in Saratoga County Court on Nov. 26.
Prosecutors say the accused child molester touched the genitals of six young boys in his classroom earlier this year, two of them under their clothing. Culver has been indicted on 41 felony counts including 29 counts of first degree sex abuse and 12 counts of second degree sexual contact against a child. He has also been charged with eight counts of endangering the welfare of a child, a misdemeanor.
All eight of his accusers are expected to testify against him at trial.
In September, Saratoga County Court Judge Jerry Scarano ruled that statements Culver made at the time of his arrest can be used against him at trial.
Culver, 32, of Clifton Park, a native of Chestertown and a teacher at the Okte Elementary School, part of the Shenendehowa School District, remains free on $50,000 bail and is on paid suspension from his teaching duties. He faces up to 20 years in state prison if convicted.
He is being represented by Terrence Kindlon of Albany who had argued for the suppression of Culver’s statements made to police, saying that they were not voluntary and had been made outside the presence of legal counsel.
Culver and his wife are separated and he is living in Chestertown with his parents.
Culver was first arrested in February after a parent called a victims’ hot line, saying that in talking with her son, the boy had made admissions concerning an alleged incident in the classroom occurring on Feb. 5 in which Culver allegedly touched the boy’s “private parts”.
At least three lawsuits have been filed against the school district and Culver by parents of students who have accused Culver of sexually molesting their sons during the past school year.
Culver, the father of a young child, was a popular teacher and had been employed by the district for eight years. After his arrest on Feb. 11, other alleged victims among the 6 and 7 year old students in his 21-student class levied additional allegations against him.
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